Sunday, June 29, 2014

The Band
Aaron Comess came to fame playing drums for the Spin Doctors. While that wild ride continues, Comess has
also made a name for himself from his solo work, which blends rock, pop, jazz
and world sounds into his own distinctive sound. Comess’ most recent work is in collaboration
with Teddy Kumpel and Richard Hammond.

The
AlbumAaron Comess released his third solo album
in May, entitled Blues For Use,
consisting of 12 instrumental tracks.

The
BuzzComess, Kumpel and Hammond are consummate
professionals, and the music on Blues For
Use is demonstrative of that fact.
The album waxes and wanes from aggressive to pensive. Comess’ talents as a composer are often
overlooked, but he drives the creative process here.

Spotlights“Hard Ball” focuses on the rhythm section
in a percussive arrangement that sounds like an early outtake from Rush crossed
with Pink Floyd. “Guilty Until Proven
Innocent” works a long, slow build into a plaintive yet ear-pleasing
chorus. The tight instrumental interplay
is key here, with a subtle guitar lead that fluctuates in intensity. Comess and company engage in a brilliant piece
of non-visual art in “Sunrise”. It’s a
lazy, rolling number; the melody is a dog lying in the summer sun, occasionally
rolling over to scratch its back in the dirt.
“Bajelirious” plays like an alternate James Bond theme. The band is at their best here, with all cylinders
pumping.

Footlights
There’s little negative to say about the album.
There are slower moments, but they are part of the ebb and flow of the
album. There is definite inspiration
here, but it is sometimes of the quieter, pensive kind. Subtlety abounds.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Delta Rae released their debut album, Carry The Fire, in 2012, and it was a
musically mind blowing experience. The intensity
and quality of the music were breathtaking, and the album earned Desert Island Disc status. I knew all of this walking
into The Tralf last night, and yet I was not in the least prepared for the
reality of Delta Rae on stage.

That intensity that comes through in the studio recording
is a mere echo of what the band brings on the stage; and there the musicality
of the band is absolutely unquestionable. Opening with a blend of “Dance In The
Graveyards” and “Run”, Delta Rae established a surprisingly aggressive energy
level from the get go. And while it took
the sound board the first song to get the vocal mix right, the band was nothing
less than amazing out of the gate. Up
next was “Better Off Alone”; another knockout performance. A brand new song, “Better Off Alone”
followed, with Ian Hölljes opening up his
impressive voice for the crowd. It was
an amazing moment; the first of many. This
led into a composite of “Is There Anyone Out There” and “Morning Comes”, which
seemed to be a musical launching pad for the band. Everything to this point was musically
pristine and full of energy, but bar was about to be raised.

It began with Brittany
Hölljes tackling “Bottom Of The River” like a woman
possessed. The entire band was taken
with the primal rhythms of the song and it turned into not just a performance
but an experience. Liz Hopkins took over
the mic for a cover of Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith’s “Because The Night”
and blew the roof off the place. Her
intensity and tone were amazing, and the band matches her step for step.

The band went off mic for a new song;
a moving and impressive turn entitled “Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This”. Eric Hölljes took the lead this time, and the
band backed him with a vocal collage that was unforgettable. Up next was another new song, “We All Want
Love”. This time is was Ian alone on
stage with piano for a lyric ballad that ought to see Delta Rae climb the
charts when the song is released on the next album. This was an absolute “Wow” moment.

Liz Hopkins came out front again for “Chasing
Twisters”, and once again raised the roof with a powerful and compelling
performance. As good as this was, it was
a mere appetizer for “Bethlehem Steel”.
Delta Rae rocked the stage, the rafters and the very foundations. Brittany’s vocal was incomparable as she
prowled the stage like a woman possessed.
The song was based on the experiences of the Hölljes siblings’ father,
who worked for Bethlehem Steel for many years, and laments the loss of factory
jobs in a declining America. Liz Hopkins
kept the energy going with an intense and powerful “If I Loved You”. This is one of my personal favorites from the
debut album, and Delta Rae did not disappoint.
Brittany came back out front to close the set with “I Will Never Die”,
from the band’s Chasing Twisters
EP. You couldn’t blame the band for
letting up a bit at this point, but the energy and intensity of the performance
never flagged.

The small but devoted crowd demanded
one more song. Delta Rae accommodated
the applause and chants with two. The
first, “After All”, is a new song that will be on the new album if the band is
wise. The Hölljes siblings and Liz
Hopkins were all featured on vocals this time around, and the music was a piece
of pure beauty. Delta Rae closed out the
night with a buoyant take on “Dance In The Graveyards” that had the entire club
swaying along. It was a knockout blow
worthy of one the most vibrant and musically apt bands working today.

Opening act Gabe Dixon was a
revelation in his own right. Even Ian Hölljes
said that Dixon is writing some of his favorite music right now, and Dixon did
not disappoint. Trading back and forth
between piano and guitar, Dixon traded ballads and blues-infused rockers that
recalled past greats such as Billy Joel and Ray Charles. Highlights included “Disappear”, “Runnin’ On
Fumes” and the delicious piano work of “Till You’re Gone”. If nothing else,
make sure to download his track “All Will Be Well”, a “Wow” moment all its own.

Both Delta Rae and Dixon were
available and accessible after their sets.
Delta Rae came out and signed at a table after the show, but unlike many
acts, each member took the time to greet and get the name of each person
walking by. It was a great dose of
southern hospitality, and will pay dividends to the band from the personal
connections they made.

Delta Rae’s tour continues tonight at
The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto. Dates
for the summer tour are currently scheduled through August 3rd. Check out www.deltarae.com
for more information, and go see them live if you get the chance. You won’t be disappointed.

Gabe Dixon will be opening for Delta
Rae through July 9th, and is currently booking shows for his Gabe
Dixon band for the summer. Get more info
at www.GabeDixon.com.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

The Band
Broken Quote is a multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer from Houston,
Texas who has been creating music since he was a small child.A self-taught musician, Broken Quote showed a
distinctive ear early on.While the lack
of lessons would be a roadblock to some, it became an open playing field to
Broken Quote.Broken Quote credits
influences such as Bjork, Eyedea, Beck, Radiohead, John Cage and Parliament
Funkadelic, among others.His musical
milieu continues to grow and evolve, but his current sound is something of a
stew of ambient funk, trip hop, electro rock and acid jazz.

The
AlbumForeshadowing Sunlight, a five song EP,is Broken Quote’s first release.

The
BuzzBroken Quote is all about minimalist
atmospherics.Electronics and ambient
sounds are the core of the sound on Foreshadowing
Sunlight, but the focus is less musical than it is of painting collages of
sound.

Spotlights“Late Night Ocean” has an intriguing
rhythm and life all its own.The overall
effect is more distracting than cohesive, but there is a musical statement to
be made here.“Glass Ceiling” is
similarly unsettling.Angst-filled piano
gives way to a slowly growing cacophony of rhythm, as Broken Quote seeks to
unsettle all who would listen.

Footlights
The energy throughout Foreshadowing
Sunlight is minimalist by intent, but the effectuation is downright painful
at times.Angst and ennui are the core
emotions, and those vibes are imparted to the listener like a cudgel.Effects very often rule the day, covering the
gaps that are left behind by songs that are thought out and through, but often
not fully.

The
Rating: 2.5 Stars(Out of 5)

The
SongsGhost Crowd
Late Night Ocean
Glass Ceiling
Sparks Water The Seeds
Mispronounce

Monday, June 23, 2014

The
Band
Corvus is one of the most prolific American metal bands of the last five years,
completing six full-length albums in that time.
Heavy guitar riffs, melodic solos, pounding rhythms and deep melodies
have blended with an electric live show to charge up fans across the U.S., and
have led to tours with Trapt, Mushroomhead, American Head Charge and Hed P.E. The lineup includes:

The
AlbumThe
latest effort from Corvus is Never Forget,
a dynamic and powerful mix of metal and classic rock with distinctive pop
undertones.

The
BuzzCorvus
takes listeners on a schizophonic buzz fest across the thirteen songs on Never Forget. Crushing guitar riffs, rapid-fire rhythms and
high precision will appeal to metal fans.
The band also delves into Top-40 blends that feature hook filled
choruses and even a power metal ballad or two.
The changes back and forth happen so fast at times that listeners may be
subject to aural whiplash. The guitar
work is strong and the vocals are more than competent. At the same time, Corvus seems to be trying
to be too many things to too many people.

Spotlights“Hear
No See No Speak No” is a quintessential pop/metal blend, featuring big guitars,
a bigger rhythm section and the screaming/chortling vocal that’s come to
epitomize heavy metal music. The band
settles into smooth sailing mode with an Edge radio style chorus that totally
changes the momentum of the song, but this sudden change is compelling. “Sweet Revenge” is a delicious mix of angst
and anger, contained in the bulging arrhythmia that Corvus builds around
it. “Déjà vu” is a theme song for the
seriously depressed or paranoid. The downward
trajectory is represented here as inescapable.
Big powerful, powerful rhythms and an innate musicality make this a
winner in spite of the compellingly dark outlook. “Never Forget” could have been written by
Dante himself: a monologue by Satan himself full of short-sighted hubris and
pride.

Footlights
When Corvus is on, they are on. But
there is also a distinct push toward commercial viability on Never Forget that makes the band sound
unsettled and uncertain of whom they are.
There’s nothing wrong with going for the brass ring, but the efforts
here are so transparent and so different from their natural sound that the gap
is glaring.

The
Rating: 3 Stars
(Out of 5)

The
SongsHear
No See No Speak No
Sweet Revenge
Through Dead Eyes
Used
Soldiers On Demand
Déjà vu
Plastic Skies
My Greatest Mistake
The Spider And The Fly
Breath
Food For The Gods
Never Forget
Crucify

Friday, June 20, 2014

Disco, pop, hip-hop and soul. Welcome to the world of Matty Ride, a retro-pop musical chemist based out of Nashville, Tennessee. With a pleasing voice and an effervescent energy, Ride revives and blends pop music styles from the last 30 years into an eclectic, yet still relevant, ganache. His latest effort, a five-song self-titled EP, shows why there is room for guys like Matty Ride in today’s dance clubs and on the charts.

Ride opens with the wispy pop confection "That Girl", which has enough snap to be danceable but is light enough to get caught up in the pop ether of Top 40 radio. The songwriting is compact and driven by an infectious hook that will keep calling listeners back. The only downfall is the breakdown in the last 45 seconds of the track, which could (and should) be cut from a single release without any loss to the listener. "All Over Again" is straight ahead, angst-filled pop. It's solid album material with a bit of Matthew Wilder flair. "Come on and Dance" is as flagrantly bubblegum as 1980's soul/pop ever was, and is likely to inspire seriously mistaken déjà vu or those who grew up in the 1980's.

"First Day of Summer" is an overexcited piece of fluff that tries to sound modern but ends up very dated. There is serious hook action at work here, but the song is almost a caricature of 1980's dance/pop acts. The video, on the other hand, will give the song serious life. It’s a fun little cinematic escape that features miniature musicians, flying cars and a uniquely comic sensibility that chronicles what happens when geek meet chic. Matty Ride slows it all down for the closing number, "Hold Me Closer". The ballad is a sleepy affair that sounds melancholy in spite of its protestations of undying love. Ride does a pretty decent job on the vocal, but there's no vitality to the arrangement.

Matty Ride is a serious musician, but at the end of the day he doesn’t take himself too seriously. The Matty Ride EP is a fun excursion of retro pop with a modern edge. There are a couple of missteps here, but nothing overly critical. Fans of pop, dance pop and light soul are going to dig this big time.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at www.mattyride.com. In the mean time, check out Matty Ride's video for "First Day of Summer"!